CANDY PRIANO, PursuitSAFETY

Speaker & Victim Services Director

“I was helpless to save my daughter Kristie’s life,” says Candy Priano. “So I work to correct the problem that caused her tragedy. I want no one else to have to suffer the pain my family endures.”

Candy’s passion lies with the mission of PursuitSAFETY—to reduce the number of unnecessary vehicular pursuits, so no other person has to suffer the pain of the death or injury of someone they love. Pursuits of nonviolent offenders too often kill the innocent and are the most difficult to comprehend, leaving questions unanswered about the need for such chases for the family members left behind.

With assistance from others, Candy founded and became Victim Services Director of PursuitSAFETY. She is committed to saving lives—the lives of both innocent bystanders and police officers. When giving a presentation, she not only shares her personal story about her daughter, Kristie, she also selects a card, a letter, or poem from the treasures she has received from other families and tells their personal story, too.

Her presentations and articles cover the inherent risk of deaths and injuries to innocent bystanders and police officers as a result of crashes due to police chases and police response calls.

Candy repeats how she was helpless to save her daughter’s life, but “I believe Kristie’s story and the stories of others will prevent other people from meeting the same fate.”

Candy presented “The Other Side of the Windshield” during closing ceremonies at the law enforcement trainers conference hosted by the Florida Public Safety Institute.
She talks about the Florida Public Safety Institute conference: “The officers and staff welcomed Esther and me with kindness and understanding from the moment we walked through the doors of the impressive Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy. I felt honored to be a part of such a positive movement happening in Florida.”

On behalf of PursuitSAFETY, Candy received this plaque for sharing information, ideas, and innovations in promoting safety for all when officers are conducting pursuits and response calls. She presented, “The Other Side of the Windshield” at the ALERT International law enforcement conference in Oklahoma City. ALERT recognized PursuitSAFETY for promoting a positive and professional image for this life-saving cause.

News clip courtesy of KHSL-TV (khsltv.com) and KNVN (knvn.com).News clip courtesy of KHSL-TV (khsltv.com) and KNVN (knvn.com).

“Life is precious, unlike a piece of property,” Candy says. “The sense of unfairness and never-ending pain does not fade away as some people would like to believe. Even though I buried my daughter Kristie, I may not exactly understand what another person is experiencing. But, I know all too well that the hole in my heart is permanent, and I suspect their heartbreak resembles mine.”

Download Candy’s CV